EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 43 



replied that the whole rose family (which is the great fruit family) has a marked 

 tendency to production of sterile flowers, and this is specially true of the 

 strawberry. The pistillate strawberries bear large leaves and fruit, all the 

 strength of the plant going iuto these instead of to the production of stamens 

 and pollen. Yet we try to avoid this, because the final results are not likely 

 to be as good as with perfect-flowered sorts. 



Thos. Wilde: I have one of Mr. Gideon's hybrids which he sent me with a 

 request that I would cross it with some of our best winter apples, and I will 

 do so as soon as it blooms. I find it best to make crosses within the same 

 strain, as taking something else tends to reversion into worthlessness. 



EXPEEIMENTS IN CROSSING CORN, TOMATOES, BEANS AND CARROTS. 



Will W. Tracy: I want to give some experiences which bear upon the sub- 

 ject, and will endeavor to be as brief as possible. First, in corn: In 1881, by 

 starting it in pots we secured silk on three or four plants of Cuzco corn. This 

 is a very late maturing species from Brazil which grows much taller than 

 ours, with much more brittle leaves which are split into threads by our winds. 

 The ear is short, nearly as thick as long, and the grain is much larger and 

 proportionately broader, beiug in size and shape much like the common 

 chestnut and perfectly smooth on the outside. The grain is made almost 

 entirely of starch which is very white and flour like. The tassels had all 

 been cut from the Cuzco as fast as they appeared, and the only pollen I had 

 to use was some of Black Mexican. I used this freely and frequently, and as 

 a result obtained two quite good ears, many of the grains being black and 

 wrinkled like sweet corn, others being white but wrinkled, still others being 

 white and smooth like the variety. In 1882 the white wrinkled grains were 

 planted where there was little chance of mixture. The tassels were carefully 

 removed as they appeared,and in due season the silk was fertilized with Early 

 Minnesota pollen. The result was quite a lot of ears, some showing all sweet 

 grains, some nearly all of the Cuczo type ; but I think none of them black, 

 although some of them showed considerable red. The best ear was selected 

 and the sweet grains planted in 1883 and the silk again fertilized with Early 

 Minnesota. This season there was considerable black corn, there being much 

 more color than in 1882. The best two ears were selected and planted and 

 left to fertilize themselves. There was much less color shown this season than 

 any year previous. In 1885 the best were planted and no color appeared. In 

 1887 the best ears were planted and no color showed. In 1888 the best two 

 were planted, and this season a good many grains were as black as the 

 Mexican and some ears are as much marked with red or black as is the ordi- 

 nary red blazed. I could not find that there was any red or black within a 

 mile. Where did this color come from if it was not "in the blood?" 



Again, in tomatoes: The Optimus, a red tomato, resulted from crossing a 

 purple and a red variety, and as it first came to us would have five per cent of 

 plants producing purple fruit. We selected the best plant and, preserving it 

 through the winter, propagated the next spring about 100 plants from cut- 

 tings of these plants. Two always bore purple fruit. One of these cutting 

 plants was kept through the second winter and again plants propagated by 

 cuttings, and these had one plant which bore purple fruit. Where did this 

 tendency, so clearly shown, come from, if not " in the blood?" 



In 1886 we had a stock of Carentan carrot which contained some very fine 



